Method and apparatus for quick freezing of food products



D PRODUCTS C. J. CONN Dec. 26, 1939.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR QUICK FREEZING OF FOO Filed March-18, 1937 jOR.

Patented Dec. 26, 1.939

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR QUICK FREEZING OF FOOD PRODUCTS rChester J.Conn, Smithtown Branch, N. Y. Application March 18, 1937, lSerial No.131,554

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods of and apparatus forquick freezing of food products, being particularly directed to nozzleformations for discharging spray refrigerant.-

Broadly, it is an object of this invention to s provide for alnovelnozzle formation, whereby brine refrigerant' delivered at water-mainpressure may be discharged through directional control to act upon theproducts being frozen with a maximum of surface contact and a minimum ofspray velocity.

Specifically, it is an object of this invention tot, provide in anapparatus for quick freezing food products fora nozzle formationincorporating a deiiector assembly, whereby refrigerating uid dischargedat the nozzle orifice and at an angle to the horizontal, may becontrolled as to direction and velocity through contact at a ointdistant from the nozzle orifice with a at one merging into a radiallyextended corrugated zone. v

` These and other advantages, capabilities and features of the inventionwill appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specificembodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing,in'which-f-fVv Figure `1 is an end elevation partlyf in section of a freezing chamberincorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the nozzle formation. Figure 3 is a planview of the nozzle formation. Figure 4 is an end elevation in section ofthe nozzle formation taken along lines 4;-4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the reference charactersY in the drawing, numeral-IQrepresents a chamber or tunnel having the usual insulated wall formationI I and in which the carrier I2 is conveyed longitudinally as bymono-rail. assembly I3.

As indicated in Figure l of the drawing, the

carrier I2 comprises of a framework incorporating angle bar members I4forming top,bottom, side and end members riveted or welded together toform a rigid assembly. Interiorly of the side members there areoppositely disposed spaced wall brackets I5 of angle bar formations. l

. Upon the opposing horizontal legs I5a. of the brackets I5 are adaptedto be disposed freezing frames I6 carrying food products F, comprisingan open ended box construction having vertical walls I6' and a'removablebase comprising of a pervious or mesh member I1, on the periphery ofwhich is mounted an angle bar I8, the horizontal leg I8a of which isadapted to serve as a bearing contact with the horizontal leg I5a ofthel wall (Cl. (i2-104) support, so as to permit ready insertion andremoval of the freezing frame into the carrier.

Along the opposing side walls II of the chamber or tunnel there areprovided angle bar supports I9 carrying brackets 20 for supporting a 5series of horizontally extending conduits 2I disposed in spaced verticalrelationship along such wall, such conduits vbeing adapted' to lead froma common header (not shown) for delivering refrigeratingfluid into thechamber. 4 l0 On the conduits and in spaced horizontal relationship areformed a series of nozzle assem` blies N., of which further -descriptionin ldetail will be given.

The base of the chamber or tunnel is sloped C and has outlet 22 fordischarge of used refrigerant into a' system for recovery andre-circulation thereof.

' As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the nozzle assembly N comprisesof' arectangular orifice 23 '20 in the nature of a slit, disposed atan anglewith respect to the horizontal central plane of the conduit. Adjacentthe orice 23 there is mounted a deflection assembly 24 comprising a.l-shapedformation, incorporating a base 25 substantially 25semi-circular in formation and beingv mounted on the conduit in spacedhorizontal relationship-to one another as by Set screw 26; thedeflection nportion 21 of theassembly 24 extending forwardly andsubstantially horizontally with respect to 30 the conduit. Thedeflection portion 21 comprises of a substantially at portion- 28, thelimits of s Awhich are defined by arc 29, the remainder of suchdeflecting surface comprising of a series of ridges and grooves 3Iextending from arc and being radially directed and of increasing depthtowards the outer periphery.

As shown in Figure 4, refrigerant passing through conduit 2| at normalmain pressure of 40 20 lbs. and discharged. through orifice 23 strikesthe deflector at the flat zone 28 and is then caused to bedeflectedlaterally and angularly, a considerable portion 'of the refrigerantbeing directed into the radially formed ridges 30 and grooves 45 f 3l,so as to provide for a laterally'and vertically controlled distributionof theldei'lected refrigerant into and across the space .betweenrespectively the tops and bottoms of the frames in carrier l2, and thusproviding for complete contact with the exposed surface of the foodproducts F. l

It isobvious that various changes and modiications may be made to thedetails of construction without departing from the general spirit of theopen tops and bottoms of the respective` frames. v

2. A method of handling food products, comprising packing the foodproducts in open top and bottom frames, disposing said frames invertical spaced relationship with respect to one another and discharginga spray refrigerant in the direction of the framed food products anddeecting the discharged refrigerant laterally and vertically into thezone between the open ends of adjacentjrames only, whereby substantiallynly the exposed surfaces of the food productsl deected refrigerant. l f

3. In a quick freezing apparatus, in combination with means forsupporting food products in in adjacent frames are contacted by saidvertical spaced layers, an assembly for discharg ing a refrigerant spraybetween the respective layers, comprisingconduits adjacent theperipheries of and in planes between the supportingmeans having spacedorifices along the length thereof and deflector members .disposedadjacent4 said orices for directing refrigerant spray substantially onlyinto the zones between the layers and against the exposed surfaces ofthe food products. v y

CHESTER J. CONN. A

